From my heart: November 2008

I am thankful...

A few of the many things I am so thankful for:

Trevor Boehm

New heartache for another family.

A lot of our old wounds have been pried open this past week. A 20 year old Northwestern student from Colorado went missing last week. His parents came in for Parents Weekend and could not locate him. He was reported missing November 9th.

With details too eerily similiar to Laurie's story, jacket, cell phone, keys found on the rocks on the shore of Lake Michigan, yesterday the body recovered by the Chicago Police Department. Our family began praying when we first heard of the missing student. As news trickled in, we followed more closely. And now it appears another family will begin this horribly familiar journey.

This was compounded with the drowning deaths of three young men at a camp not far from here in Algonquin IL. Three young bright guys who were on a leadership retreat who decided to go for a late night ride on the camp's paddleboats. More loss...

Just last weekend we got to getaway for just two and a half short days to FL to get some time away with our friends from MI who lost their daughter and her fiancee in an accident two years ago. Our time there was fun but always in the back of each of our brains is the loss of a child, our child, our much beloved child.

Gosh, I wish this was not real...

I love photos!

Because I love photos and the memories they create, I am posting a bunch of pics from this past weekend. We are enjoying great weather in Chicago right now and we are loving it.

Thursday night Pete and I were called in to work at our PADS location, so between loads of laundry for our homeless guests, I had plenty of time to create a top hat for an almost two year old Rylan's Halloween costume. I love crazy craft projects and this one was so fun... a felt wand, giant top hat for Kylie to wear, I'm in hot glue gun heaven!

Tougher parts of this week have been helping Pete's dad on his return from his hospital stay, refurbishing my dad's walker for Pete Sr to use. And then the minor chaos of the lost cell phone with the finder wanting to know how much his "reward" would be. Urggg! And last, concern for my sister in Colorado; prayers for Gail would be much appreciated.

I am also committed to prayer in this presidential election. Whoever is the victor, he needs the prayers of the country. I'm on it.